Article carrier

ABSTRACT

A basket style multiple cell article carrier having a low medial handle structure disposed between two rows of articles is specially constructed to provide hand gripping space on each side of the handle and intermediate the top portions of the middle ones of the packaged articles. Toward this end, the end wall panels are somewhat narrower in width than the exterior transverse dimension of the packaged articles while the intermediate transverse partitioning elements are somewhat longer than the exterior transverse dimension of the packaged items so that the middle article or articles on each side of the handle may be moved outwardly somewhat to afford hand gripping space immediately adjacent one or more hand gripping apertures formed in the handle and disposed below the tops of the packaged items midway between the ends thereof.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Attorney-Walter M. Rodgers ABSTRACT: A basket style multiple cell article carrier having a low medial handle structure disposed between two rows of articles is specially constructed to provide hand gripping space on each side of the handle and intermediate the top portions of the middle ones of the packaged articles. Toward this end, the end wall panels are somewhat narrower in width than the exterior transverse dimension of the packaged articles while the intermediate transverse partitioning elements are somewhat longer than the exterior transverse dimension of the packaged items so that the middle article or articles on each side of the handle may be moved outwardly somewhat to afford hand gripping space immediately adjacent one or more hand gripping apertures formed in the handle and disposed below the tops of the packaged items midway between the ends thereof.

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INVENTOR PRENTICE J. WOOD ATTORNEY PATENTEU SEP 7197! INVENTOR PRENTICE J WOOD ATTORNEY- ARTICLE cxaauztt Economy in the use of materials out of which basket-style article carriers are formed may be achieved in part by constructing the carrier with a low handle which is disposed substantially below the tops of the packaged articles. In this type of configuration, access to the hand gripping aperture means in the handle is difficult and comfortable portage of the carrier is thus impaired even though the packaged articles are bottles having upwardly tapered neck portions.

According to this invention, the cell or cells intermediate the end cells of the carrier on each side of the handle are made somewhat wider than the end cells by the simple expedient of constructing the transverse partition elements which define the intermediate cell or cells so that they are slightly longer than the width of the end wall panels. In addition the end wall panels may be constructed, if desired, so that they are slightly narrower than the exterior transverse dimension of the articles. In this manner the articles disposed within the end cells may be snugly and securely enveloped by the end cell walls and sufficient space is provided adjacent the handle for tilting the intermediate articles outwardly from the region of the bandle thereby to provide adequate hand gripping space according to one form of the invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basket-style carrier constructed according to this invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank used in the construction of the carrier of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of a setup carrier as shown in FIG. 1 and in which the dimensional relationships of the various cells are shown according to essential features of the invention; FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 represent several folding stages through which the blank of FIG. 2 is manipulated in order to form a complete collapsed carrier as shown in FIG. 6.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a sidewall of the carrier to which a glue flap designated by the numeral 2 is foldably joined along fold line 3. End wall panels 4 and 5 are foldably joined to the end edges 6 and 7 of sidewall 1 respectively and riser panels 8 and 9 are foldably joined to end wall panels 4 and 5 along fold lines 10 and l 1 respectively. Notches 12 and 13 are formed in riser panels 8 and 9 respectively.

The handle of the carrier is a composite structure and comprises a pair of exterior handle panels 14 and 15 interconnected with each other along a medial top fold line 16. Handle panel 14 is foldably joined to riser panel 9 along fold line 11. A pair of interior reinforcing panels 17 and 18 are foldably joined to each other along fold line 19 and are foldably joined respectively to exterior handle panels 14 and 15 along short transverse fold lines 20 and 21. Panels 17 and 18 are severed from the end edges of panels 14 and 15 as indicated by the slits 22 and 23 which are of L-shaped configuration and which extend respectively between the fold line 19 and fold lines 20 and 21.

For affording portage of the carrier, hand gripping apertures 24 and 25 are formed within exterior handle panel 14 and coincidental apertures are formed in panel 15 and are designated by the numerals 26 and 27. When the carrier is assembled, reinforcing panels 17 and 18 are disposed in flat face contacting relationship to the interior surfaces of exterior handle panels 14 and 15 and when so disposed the hand gripping aperture 28 in panel 17 coincides with aperture 25 in panel 14 and aperture 23 in panel 17 coincides with aperture 24 in panel 14. In like fashion, apertures 30 and 31 in panel 18 coincide with apertures 27 and 26 respectively in exterior handle panel 15.

For the purpose of defining article receiving cells on each side of the handle structure, a plurality of transverse partition elements are provided on each side of the handle. In FIG. 2 one such transverse partition element is designated by the numeral 32 and is interconnected with sidewall 1 along fold line 33 and with exterior handle panel 14 along fold line 34.

In similar fashion, transverse partition element 35 is interconnected with sidewall 1 along fold line 36 and with exterior handle panel 14 along fold line 37.

The other side of the blank is of similar construction to that described above and comprises a rziser panel 38 which is foldably joined along medial fold line 39 to riser panel 8 together with a riser panel 40 which is foldably joined to the end edge of exterior handle panel 15 along fold line 41.

The end wall panels of the carrier are designated by the numerals 42 and 43 and are foldably joined to riser panels 38 and 40 along fold lines 44 and 45 respectively. Sidewall 46 is foldably joined to end wall panel 42 along fold line 47 and to end wall panel 43 along fold line 48.

Cells are constructed by means of transverse partition element 49 which is foldably joined to sidewall 46 along fold line 50 and to exterior handle panel 15 along fold line 51. Transverse partition element 52 is foldably joined to sidewall 46 along a fold line 53 and at the other end thereof to exterior handle panel 15 along fold line 54.

Notches 55 and 56 are formed in riser panels 38 and 40 respectively and coincide with the notches 12 and 13 when the carrier is assembled as is well known. Composite notches thus formed cooperate with the medial notches 57 and 58 formed in bottom panel 59 medially thereof. A fold line 60 is formed within the bottom panel 59 so as to render that panel collapsible.

In order to form the collapsed carrier depicted in FIG. 6 from the blank depicted in FIG. 2 a number of folding operations are necessary. As a first step, an application of glue is made to the interior of handle panels 114 and 15 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 2. Thereafter interior reinforcing handle panels 17 and 18 are elevated and swung upwardly and toward the right along fold lines 20 and 21 to occupy positions in fiat face-contacting relationship with the interior surfaces of exterior handle panels 14 and 15. The blank then appears as depicted in FIG. 4.

An application ofglue is then made to the ends of the interior surfaces of exterior handle panels 14 and 15 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 4. Thereafter end wall panels 4 and 42 are elevated and swung upwardly toward the right along fold lines 6 and 47 to occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 5. This operation causes the ends of riser panels 8 and 38 adjacent the medial fold line 39 to adhere to the interior of the handle panels. In like fashion, riser panels 9 and 40 as depicted in FIG. 4 are elevated and swung upwardly and toward the left along fold lines 11 and 45 respectively to occupy positions de picted in FIG. 5 and the bottom panel 59 is doubled back on itself along the medial fold line 50 to occupy the condition depicted in FIG. 5.

Thereafter an application of glue is made to the interior sur faces of reinforcing handle panels 17 and 18 and to the riser panels 8, 9, 38 and 40 as well as to the glue flap 2 and the upper edge of bottom panel 59 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 5. In order to complete the carrier, the sidewall 1, end wall panels 4 and 5, riser panels 8 and 9 and interior handle panel 17 as well as exterior handle panel] 14 are elevated and swung forwardly and down along fold lines 39, 16 and 19 to occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 6. The carrier is then complete and in order to set it up, a force toward the left may be applied to the right-hand edge of end wall panel 5 while the sidewall panels I and 46 are held against substantial movement. The carrier then is set up by causing the notch 57 to engage with the composite notches 12 and 55 formed in riser panels 8 and 38. The carrier is then in setup condition as depicted in FIG. 1 although it is obvious that: the view in FIG. 1 is taken generally from the opposite side from that depicted in The arrangement represented schematically in FIG. 3 is in effect a top view of the carrier as shown in setup condition in FIG. 1.

For the purpose of affording hand gripping space between the articles such as B1 and B2 shown in FIG. 3, the transverse partition elements 52 and 49 are made larger than the exterior transverse dimension of bottle Bl by the distance Y. In like fashion the length of transverse partition elements 35 and 33 is made greater than the exterior transverse dimension of bottle B2 by the dimension Y." In order to provide for a snug and secure holding of articles B3 and B4 which occupy the end cells of the carrier at one end thereof and to save material, end wall panels such as 4 and 42 may, if desired, be made narrower than the exterior transverse dimension of the bottles such as B3 and B4 by the dimension X." Of course dimension X" is approximately equal to dimension Y" if the articles are of uniform size and of round configuration. Furthermore, in order to afford secure holding of the articles against jostling in a direction lengthwise of the sidewalls l and 46, the transverse partition elements 52 and 49 are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the exterior transverse dimension of bottle B1 and transverse partitioning element 49 is spaced from end wall 42 by an amount substantially equal to the transverse dimension of article B3. The end cell defined by side 46, end wall panel 43 and transverse partitioning element 52 is likewise dimensioned so that the spacing between end wall 43 and transverse partitioning element 52 is approximately equal to the exterior transverse dimension of article B5. On the other side of the handle, the carrier is similarly constructed so that the cells for articles B6, B2 and B4 correspond to the dimensional relationships described above for articles B5, B1 and B3 respectively.

From the above description and particularly from FIG. 3 it is apparent that articles B1 and B2 may be shifted outwardly from the handle panel such as is represented by the exterior panels 14 and 15 each at least by the distance designated by the letter Y. If the center bottles B1 and B2 are tilted outwardly more space than is represented by the distance Y is afforded. This fact together with the fact that bottles probably incorporate upwardly tapered narrow neck portions afford adequate hand gripping room for the user when the carrier is to be lifted and ported. Furthermore this dimensional relationship of the parts provides for the construction of a carrier with an extremely low handle which is satisfactory for many purposes and which not only saves material but facilitates stacking one carrier atop another. In addition, it is obvious that the narrowed end wall panels such as 5, 4, 43 and 42 afford a snugly gripping action on the associated end bottles thereby to enhance the security and stability of the carrier particularly when one carrier is stacked atop another. Stated in another manner the additional material required to provide the dimension Y in the center cells for the bottles B1 and B2 is more than accommodated by the saving in material effected by the narrow end walls. This is because the partitions such as 35, 33, 52 and 49 are preferably of the strap-type in an economy carrier of the type disclosed and hence are very shallow in depth. The end walls on the other hand are of full depth construction and hence a savings throughout the entire depth of the end wall by the dimension X" constitutes a significant and worthwhile material saving, in addition to the structural and handling advantages described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A carrier for a plurality of articles of substantially uniform size and exterior configuration said carrier comprising a bottom wall, opposed sidewalls joined to said bottom wall along opposite side edges thereof, end wall panels joined at the ends of said sidewalls by a fold line and extending transversely inward therefrom, riser panels joined at the inwardly extending edges of said end wall panels and extending medially inward of the carrier, a multiple-ply handle secured at its ends to the riser panels at the ends of the carrier, and at least two transverse partition elements interconnecting the handle and each sidewall intermediate said end wall panels and defining a row of article receiving cells on each side of the handle, each transverse partition element being somewhat longer than the width of an end wall panel, the ends of said sidewalls tapering inwardly from the intersection thereof with the partition elements to the fold line connecting said sidewalls to the end wall panels.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein each end wall panel is somewhat narrower in width than the exterior transverse dimension of an article.

3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein the dimension of each article receiving cell along the length of the handle and of the associated sidewall is approximately equal to the exterior transverse dimension of an article.

4. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein hand gripping aperture means is formed in said handle approximately midway between its ends and wherein said hand gripping aperture means is disposed below the tops of the articles disposed within the cells of the carrier, the length of said transverse partition elements being greater than the exterior transverse dimension of an article by a distance sufficient to provide hand gripping space between the rows of articles and adjacent the handle.

5. A carrier according to claim I wherein the increment by which said end wall panels are narrower than the transverse exterior dimension of an article is approximately equal to the increment by which said transverse partition elements are longer than the transverse exterior dimension of an article whereby to provide end cells which snugly encompass and securely hold the articles disposed therein. 

1. A carrier for a plurality of articles of substantially uniform size and exterior configuration said carrier comprising a bottom wall, opposed sidewalls joined to said bottom wall along opposite side edges thereof, end wall panels joined at the ends of said sidewalls by a fold line and extending transversely inward therefrom, riser panels joined at the inwardly extending edges of said end wall panels and extending medially inward of the carrier, a multiple-ply handle secured at its ends to the riser panels at the ends of the carrier, and at least two transverse partition elements interconnecting the handle and each sidewall intermediate said end wall panels and defining a row of article receiving cells on each side of the handle, each transverse partition element being somewhat longer than the width of an end wall panel, the ends of said sidewalls tapering inwardly from the intersection thereof with the partition elements to the fold line connecting said sidewalls to the end wall panels.
 2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein each end wall panel is somewhat narrower in width than the exterior transverse dimension of an article.
 3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein the dimension of each article receiving cell along the length of the handle and of the associated sidewall is approximately equal to the exterior transverse dimension of an article.
 4. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein hand gripping aperture means is formed in said handle approximately midway between its ends and wherein said hand gripping aperture means is disposed below the tops of the articles disposed within the cells of the carrier, the length of said transverse partition elements being greater than the exterior transverse dimension of an article by a distance sufficient to provide hand gripping space between the rows of articles and adjacent the handle.
 5. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein the increment by which said end wall panels are narrower than the transverse exterior dimension of an article is approximately equal to the increment by which said transverse partition elements are longer than the transverse exterior dimension of an article whereby to provide end cells which snugly encompass and securely hold the articles disposed therein. 